Another gem hidden in the "horror" drawer, which is sure to get a lot of the jaded horror crowd bitching "boring" while being ignored by viewers looking for more substance than the usual jump scare/gorefest.
Very recommended if you like horror movies/tv that subvert the tropes of the genre to tell a story about the real horror of our world.
Loved it. Think it's more a drama than a horror/thriller, how awful it must be to process such a trauma. Of course there are some jumpscares and some tension but the multiple layers in the movie really got me. Very good acting from both main characters only the lighting in the movie felt a bit like a cheap shot sometimes.
It's excessively rare that a horror movie makes my hair raise on end, but His House not only managed it, but was also the kind of film that I would have liked even without any horror content. And you could argue the supernatural doesn't actually exist in the movie and that everything is a PTSD-fueled hallucination. But it's not an "instead", it's a "simultaneously". Two refugees from the Sudan are handed a run-down home in London while their status is examined, and creepy weirdness starts occurring that will reveal their secret pain. The man's wish to assimilate and leave everything behind is at odds with his wife's need to stay rooted in their culture, and so the horror follows rules - African and Western - depending on their (and your) viewpoint. Using a folklore that's specific to them make the story quite original as well as relevant and psychologically interesting. Both Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku (lately of Loki fame) are excellent, as is the cinematography. Beautiful, poignant, chilling stuff.
As other commenters pointed out, it definitely qualifies as a drama much more than the average horror movie does. Personally I still found it to be scary in it's own way, magnifying the very real and harsh reality of war refugees through tales of haunting ghosts.
It is a touching story, well shot, well interpreted and a refreshing take on the genre. I always enjoy seeing film makers put forward their own culture and share their unique experience of things that we can all empathize with: regrets and grief in this specific case.
I do recommend it for people who enjoy reality-based horror!
Agreed with Da_Vince that this is much stronger as a drama than a horror/thriller. It still very much fits in those categories, but if I was rating this as horror thriller it would get only moderate points. As a drama though, I think it is pretty outstanding, and deserves its high ratings in that respect.
But a warning then; if you're looking for horror/thriller and aren't a fan of dramas, maybe look somewhere else.
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BadFluffy
Another gem hidden in the "horror" drawer, which is sure to get a lot of the jaded horror crowd bitching "boring" while being ignored by viewers looking for more substance than the usual jump scare/gorefest.Very recommended if you like horror movies/tv that subvert the tropes of the genre to tell a story about the real horror of our world.
Da_Vince
Loved it. Think it's more a drama than a horror/thriller, how awful it must be to process such a trauma. Of course there are some jumpscares and some tension but the multiple layers in the movie really got me. Very good acting from both main characters only the lighting in the movie felt a bit like a cheap shot sometimes.Siskoid
It's excessively rare that a horror movie makes my hair raise on end, but His House not only managed it, but was also the kind of film that I would have liked even without any horror content. And you could argue the supernatural doesn't actually exist in the movie and that everything is a PTSD-fueled hallucination. But it's not an "instead", it's a "simultaneously". Two refugees from the Sudan are handed a run-down home in London while their status is examined, and creepy weirdness starts occurring that will reveal their secret pain. The man's wish to assimilate and leave everything behind is at odds with his wife's need to stay rooted in their culture, and so the horror follows rules - African and Western - depending on their (and your) viewpoint. Using a folklore that's specific to them make the story quite original as well as relevant and psychologically interesting. Both Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku (lately of Loki fame) are excellent, as is the cinematography. Beautiful, poignant, chilling stuff.phosamoeba
As other commenters pointed out, it definitely qualifies as a drama much more than the average horror movie does. Personally I still found it to be scary in it's own way, magnifying the very real and harsh reality of war refugees through tales of haunting ghosts.It is a touching story, well shot, well interpreted and a refreshing take on the genre. I always enjoy seeing film makers put forward their own culture and share their unique experience of things that we can all empathize with: regrets and grief in this specific case.
I do recommend it for people who enjoy reality-based horror!
Tidorith
Agreed with Da_Vince that this is much stronger as a drama than a horror/thriller. It still very much fits in those categories, but if I was rating this as horror thriller it would get only moderate points. As a drama though, I think it is pretty outstanding, and deserves its high ratings in that respect.But a warning then; if you're looking for horror/thriller and aren't a fan of dramas, maybe look somewhere else.